Chinese Herbs

Those registered for use in humans,

 are classified by the meridian they treat.  For example, an athritis formula may have 8 different herbs.  The primary herbs Clematis, Stephania and Achyranthis take away wind and damp from the pancreatic and kidney meridians. These formulas

are  available over the counter in chemist shops for humans.

Those registered for use in animals are available to veterinarians only and are given only by prescription. Veterinarians should check the newsletter of the AHV for supplier addresses and phone numbers. ie join the AVA and the SIG.

European Herbal Medicine:

Here traditional plants are used and actions are classified more simply.

Human Formulas tend to have an immune booster, a cleanser and a digestive aid depending on the condition. A typical formula is available over the counter for humans is cranberry and buchu where the cranberry is a urinary antiseptic and the buchu is a kidney cleanser.

Animal formulas which are registered are available only through consultation with veterinarians.

Bulk dried pasture herbs can be obtained from Country Park herbs at Nerang, or Hilton herbs (see their websites).

Side Effects:

Most problems occur with herbs where doses are too large and the herb is given for too long. All herbs have side effects. Within species and breeds there are variations in dose rates and time of application 

Herbs are not meant to be permanent additions to rations. Some can be used preventatively if there are risk situations. With reference to the health ,it is better to correct the genetic or management situation involved in a disease, rather than relying long term on any medication. Herbs are generally more environmentally friendly than antibiotics, chemical cleaners and insecticides.

Home grown herbs are not reliable in quality as chemical content can vary with location and season and storage. As growers continue to grow and use their own herbs, they will come to know seasonal and soil effects.

When purchasing, use a good quality supplier. A company with a quality control program in place will usually charge a higher price.

High quality suppliers of growing herbs and seeds is "All Rare Herbs", Mapleton, and "Medicine Garden "of Lismore.

Unlike drugs, herbs are complexes of organic chemicals. Plants have different chemicals in their roots, flowers and leaves and seeds. Most herbs provide their beneficial effects due to the presence of one or more of the following components:

Alkaloids. Alkaloids are common to many plants and form the basis of many modern drugs such as morphine, atropine and codeine. They contain nitrogen and are usually alkaline. They are made by the plant from its amino acids or protein building blocks. They can cross the blood brain barrier and in excess can be toxic. In excess they cause liver damage. Some alkaloids such as those in comphrey cause instant liver damage. The younger leaves tend to have more alkaloids. Bans have been place on the commercial sale of comphrey because of this, although it once was used as a general tonic. The herbs itself can still be grown. Animals rarely eat it large quantities, poultry have been observed to take an occasional mouthful without any visible unpleasant effects.

Bitters. Bitters tend to stimulate the secretion of gastric juices. They do this by stimulating bitter receptors of the human tongue. They increase gastric secretion of digestive aids and prime the pancreas to produce more enzymes. The result is often an improvement in resistance to gut infections and death of bacteria.

Flavenoids and bioflavenoids These are antioxidant, improve the potency of Vitamin C, prevent tumor formation, and reduce coronary heart disease. Estrogenic flavenoids occur in legumes and linseed. These are called phyto estrogens.

Glycosides. Some herbs contain extremely powerful glycosides. For example, Digoxin, a component of the very powerful heart drug digitalis, is extracted from foxglove. Milder ones are present in Lily of the Valley.

Mucilage: These trap water when is added to them. They cannot be broken down by digestive enzymes but are worked on by gut bacteria to make short chain fatty acids. This means they soothe the gut lining and reduce inflammation, while sealing and soothing ulceration. They are bulk laxatives without causing diarrhea. They can also be used to draw fluid out of wounds and reducing infection, They have a reverse emetic effect. These herbs are water soluble only.

Saponins. These form a foam when dissolved in water. This makes the herbs more soluble. They can cause red blood cell breakdown by dissolving their membranes. They lower plasma cholesterol and may affect bowel flora. They have various interactions with hormones such as aldosterone and follicle stimulating hormone.

Tannins: These are large phenolic compounds which bind proteins on mucous surfaces so that they become less permeable. This is called an astringent action. They are poorly absorbed. They produce a protective layer of coagulated protein, which stops diarrhea, reduces gut motility and numbs nerve endings.

Oils: These are different in each plant. There are 7 major groups. They are extracted, and concentrated and called Essential Oils. They can be highly toxic when taken internally in the concentrated form.

(Ref: Mills et al 2000)